Fluid coupling



April 1939- w. A. DUFFIELD 2,156,040

FLUID COUPLING Filed March 1, 1937 //VVENTOR Patented A r. 25, 1939 I 2,156,040

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID COUPLING William A. Duflield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,

assignor to Modern Equipment Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a company Application March 1, 1937, Serial No. 128,512

7 Claims. (Cl. sci-54y This invention relates to improvements in fluid through which to flll the coupling with fluid as couplings and particularly to those in which required. power is transmitted by a fluid from animpeller The operation of the coupling is as follows: member to a .runner member by its circulation A suitable quantity of fluid having been fed to through vaned channels in both members. the reservoir and its connections, the drive shaft 5 The object of the invention is to provide means is rotated 'in either direction. This rotates the whereby the fluid may be evacuated from the impeller and causes the fluid to flow from the working circuit of the members and returned reservoir through the by-pass channels into the thereto. working circuit. The filling of the working. cir- 10 A further object is to provide a fluid clutch cuit causes the fluid to circulate and couple the 10 which is adapted to over-run under certain conimpeller to the runner and rotate the runner in ditions. the same direction as the impeller.

Reference is made to the accompanying draw- The driven shaft willthen be driven at aping in which: proximately the same speed as that of the drive 5 Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the clutch. shaft. Figure 2 is a partial cross section on the lines Now if the Speed Of the ta o of the 1111- 2-2 of Figure 1. peller slows down below that of the runner from As shown in Figure 1, the fluid coupling is of any cause such as coasting, the runner will bethe Fottinger type, the drive shaft l is bolted e e temporary p r and cause the fluid to a cover or bowl 2 which may be a fly wheel. in the Working circuit to flow in the pp 20 Secured to the bowl 2 at its periphery is the dir t The un r will t n be over-runnin impeller member which comprises an outer shell the pel er- 20 and an inner shell 2| connected by vanes 23, When the fluid i the ki circuit be s forming the by-pass passage 22. A driven shaft to flow in the reverse direction a portion of it will 5 journalled in bearings 6 in the bowl 2 supports p through e Y-p s P s e nto t e reser- 25 a bearing 26 and packing ring 21 of the outer Veir- The p between p l and the runh ll 2o ner will increase to maximum and the runnenwill Th space b t th inner portion of t rotate freely. If the impeller is now speeded up shell 2| with its flange 25 and. the inner portion to rotate faster than the runner, or if the runner 30 of the shell 20 forms a central reservoir aroundis Slowed down to rotate l tihim the p r 30 the shaft 5. the fluid will return from the reservoir into the The runner member 3 which is larger than working circuit and the coupling will again be the inner shell 2| is bolted to a flange 50 on the come Closeddriven shaft 5. The by-pass 22 therefore opens By means f he air passages any W p s directly t t runner 3, The inner $11611 2 freely from the reservoir to the interior of the 5 of the impeller has a flange 25 around the driven Working cimuit and Vice-Verse and Prevent any sh ft Both impeller and runner have Gem air lock or hindrance to the filling and emptying tral core members 4 which together form the 0f the fluidinner walls of the fluid working circuit, and are By means of the addit1na1m1f5tt w- P connected to the outer walls by the usual series of channels the transfer of the mud m eiPher dlrec" 40 vanes tioiwils t lerlrpeldi ted and made more efllcient.

The impeller has one or more air passages 40 0 am Is: from the core member 4 to the reservoir 1 around 1? In fl fi g of the type specified havthe driven-Shaft 5 ing vaned impe er an runner members, the im- AS Shown in Fiure 2 the by pass 22 between peller member having a central enclosed reservoir ss r the outer and inner shells 20-2! of the impeller g gg g g z f gg fili fifi open has a series of vanes 23 extending towards the In flujd coupling of the type specified, havreservoil 1 ing vanedimpeller and runner members, the im- In order teprev de more rapid from the peller member having a central enclosed reserworking circuit to the Pas 22 leadmg t0 t voir and a by-pass passage on the outside of the reserv ir 1 dir p sa 28 through the impeller from the reservoir opening directly into peller may be provided. These are shown in the runner member.

Figures 1 and 2. 8. In a fluid coupling of the type specified, hav- A plug 24 is provided in the outer shell 20 ing vaned impeller and runner members with core 55 of the impeller from the reservoir opening directly into the runner member and air tubes between the core memberof the impeller and the reservoir.

4. In a fluid coupling of the type specified having vaned impeller and runner members with core members, the combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft, of a bowl bolted to the drive shaft, the impeller member bolted to the bowl, comprising an inner shell and an outer shell connected by vanes to form a by-pass passage opening directly into the runner member, a reservoir formed by extensions of shells toward the driven shaft, open to the by-pass passage, the runner member having the diameter of the outer shell, bolted to a flange of the driven shaft.

5. In a fluid coupling of the type specified, having vaned impeller and runner members with core members, the combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft of a bowl bolted to the drive shaft, the impeller member bolted to the rim of the bowl, comprising an inner shell and an outer shell connected by vanes to form a by-pass passage which opens directly into the runner member, extensions of the shells toward the driven shaft forming a reservoir open to the by-pass passage, the runner member having the diameter of the outer shell, bolted to a flange on the driven shaft and air passages between the reservoir and the core member of the impeller.

6. In a fluid coupling of the type specified, having vaned impeller and runner members, the combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft of an impeller member secured to the drive shaft, comprising fluid circulating passages and an outside vaned by-pass passage with extensions towards the driven shaft forming a reservoir, and having additional passages through the fluid circulating passages to the by-pass passage, and a runner member secured to the driven shaft extending over and opening directly into the outlet of the by-pass passage.

7. In a fluid coupling of the typespecified, having vaned impeller and runner members, the combination with a drive shaft and a driven shaft of an impeller member secured to the drive shaft, comprising fluid circulating passages and an outside vaned by-pass passage with wards the driven shaft forming a reservoir, and a runner member secured to the driven shaft extending over and opening directly into the outlet of the by-pass passage.

- A. DUFFIELD.

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